Ceraunophile || Umbrella Academy

II

Valerie didn't hesitate leaving the grounds of the Umbrella Academy at the only chance she got. She was the third Hargreeves to ever leave the umbrella academy but she was the first to leave by choice. And the second it turned midnight on the 1st of October on their 18th birthday, Val was out of there.

"Valerie!" The calls of Val's brother Klaus echoed the halls as he chased after a 18 year old Valerie, who carried a suitcase in one hand with a backpack on her back. "Wait! Where are you going?" Klaus continued to call but Valerie didn't stop. The boy was high like usual, he wouldn't remember anything in the next few hours. She just hoped he wouldn't haunt the rest of the house.

"I can't stay here Klaus!" Valerie called back without a single twist to look back.

"Klaus!" Luther shouted as he caught up with the two adults alongside the rest of the siblings. "What's going on?" He questioned, eyes shifting from Klaus to Valerie. His tone dropping alongside his gaze as he spotted the backpack and case that the girl had. She was leaving them.

"Great the whole shit show is here." Val groaned, catching the gaze of her siblings as she turned to look at them.

"Val?" Allison questioned as she scanned her sister's appearance. "What are you doing?" No one wanted Valerie to leave, not even Luther, but all 5 of the siblings stood before the girl knew she wouldn't change her mind. Everyone living in the Umbrella Academy will leave one day.

"Leaving." Valerie stated, "I'm done with it." The woman shrugged, eyes shifting behind the group to see her mother standing curiously. "The academy, the missions, all of it."

It was hard for Valerie to stop herself from screaming "I'm sorry" To every single one of her siblings but in the end, none of them needed an apology for her departure. Everyone here was selfish in their own way, even Valerie. She just wanted to escape and not be reminded what she did wrong years ago.

"Where are you going to go?" Luther questioned. It was hard for Valerie to decide if he was genuinely curious and sad or he was putting on an act for everyone else. You never could tell with him. In the end, he wanted everyone to stay together.

"Somewhere." Val explained, her eyes switching between each family member stood before her. "I have friends out there that I can go to." Her stature shifted, her eyes falling on Diego who stood at the back of the group, resting against a wall. "This isn't my place." The girl stated.

"Well, we can't stop you." Luther stated in a low tone, taking his chance to walk away before Allison could stop him. But he was right, none of them could stop Valerie in the end.

"Luther, Come on." Allison groaned, attempting to catch his hand to stop him but she ended up missing it by millimeters.

"I'm not sorry." Val announced to the four Hargreaves kids in front of her.

"No one said you need to be." Vanya reassured, walking towards her sister with her shoulders slumped. The girl wrapped her arms around her for a moment before pulling away, displaying a small forced smile. "Be safe." Vanya nodded before walking away.

Valerie bit her tongue has she caught a glimpse of her mother again before forcing her gaze onto her brothers before her. "Thanks Klaus." Val joked sarcastically as he brought the girl into a tight hug himself.

"You needed this." The boy stated, "A goodbye that Five and Ben didn't get from any of us." Klaus patted the girl on the back as he pulled away. Despite being high most of the time now a days, Klaus often knew what he was doing. Like now for example, he knew if Valerie never said goodbye to any of the Hargreaves then she would of regretted it for years onwards. That's what she did with Ben.

"You always knew." Val joked, "Are we sure you're not an empath." The girl shoved her brother slightly, the both letting out a laugh.

There jokes were interrupted as someone cleared their throat. Both the adult's gazes turned to Diego.

"Right," Klaus mumbled, watching Diego's stern gaze on the two. "Goodbye, Valerie." He smiled at Valerie before walking away, leaving Diego and Val alone.

"Th-T-That was your plan?" Diego questioned the girl, in a tone completely different to what the others had through his stutter. One that he worked hard to get rid of years ago and he did. His was move of a lecture incoming  type of tone. "No goodbye, No information of where you going?!" The boy's tone increased the more he spoke but at the same time the more it increased, the more he struggled to contain it breaking.

"Diego." Valerie mumbled, placing her case onto the floor before slowly walking to the boy.

Over the past 4 years Diego and Valerie got closer than anyone of them had thought. It was something that happened after Ben's death that made everyone's relationships more peculiar. whether it was for better or worse is something that differed. But in this case it was in a good way. They both were close to Ben. Now, they're close to each other.

"D-Don't." Diego fought back. "You're going to say something and that will make me let you go." He didn't want his best friend to leave him.

"That's how life works." Val explains, "People come and leave whether you like it or now. We've lived through that already. How am I any different?"

"Ben and Five didn't have a choice." The boy reasoned. "That's the difference here Val."

The two adults stayed in silence as they stared at each other. Val could tell there was something else that was stopping Diego from letting Valerie go and it wasn't because of the already departed siblings. He had a look in his eye that the girl struggled to figure out.

"That's not the reason, is it?" Val asked, "There's something else."

Diego kept quiet, his eyes never shifting from Val's. Moments passed before someone made a move. Valerie quickly grew tired of waiting an answer from the man before her, so instead she turned to move back to her case.

As she did, a hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. "Vee." Diego called out, causing the girl to turn back to him, he rarely ever called her Vee. "No me olvides." (Don't forget me)

"Nunca." (Never) Valerie smiled softly. "oh, ¿cómo podría olvidarte?" (How could I forget you?)

They both smiled before bringing each other into a hug. "Adios." Diego sighed as he pulled away from the girl.

"Adios, Diego." Valerie nodded back, kissing the boy on the cheek.

Despite not saying goodbye to everyone she wanted to do, Valerie did appreciate Klaus's last gift to her.